Moves to ban dance drug mephedrone

Home Secretary Alan Johnson has announced a ban on the drug mephedrone

Party drug mephedrone could be banned by April 16, Home Office minister David Hanson has told Parliament.

The move follows a report from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) which backed a ban on the substance which is also known as M-Cat or miaow miaow.

Forced to answer an urgent question in the Commons Mr Hanson said he hoped an order making mephedrone a class B drug would come into force on April 16.

Mr Hanson said Home Secretary Alan Johnson had laid a draft order before Parliament to approve the ban on mephedrone and similar cathinone derivatives.

He faced questions from Liberal Democrat science spokesman Evan Harris who asked why the ACMD advice had not been made public.

Dr Harris also warned that the resignation of veterinary expert Polly Taylor meant the council was "not legally constituted" at the time the advice was given, potentially opening the door to a challenge in the courts.

The drug has been linked to up to 25 deaths in England and Scotland.

He said the ACMD's chairman Professor Les Iversen had made clear "the harms that these drugs undertake justify control" under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

"The harms associated with these drugs include hallucinations, blood circulation problems, rashes, anxiety, paranoia, fits and delusions and have been linked to a number of deaths. Given the risk to public health there is strong cross-party support for getting these measures through Parliament and we hope the draft order can come into effect as soon as possible on April 16, 2010."